"It is one of the few terms that cast/casts a positive light on this subject."

Question

What should the verb "cast" agree with in the example below?

Should the verb "cast" be conjugated as "cast", agreeing with "terms" (terms that cast a positive light)

It is one of the few terms that cast a positive light on the subject.

or should "cast" agree with "one" .. (one (of the terms) that casts a positive light)

It is one of the few terms that casts a positive light on the subject.

Should it be the first, the second, or is either correct?

The subject of "to cast" is "the few terms" so the first form should be chosen: — Pablo Straub, May 16 '17 at 22:08
@sumelic it does seem like a duplicate. I had used tips to search but didn't see that one. Should I delete this question? — Tom22, May 16 '17 at 22:33

score 0 · Answer 1 · answered May 16 '17 at 22:16

0

The clause "the few terms that cast a positive light on the subject" represents a set of terms. The subject of "to cast" is "the few terms".

And the whole sentence is asserting that "It" is a member of that set. So the first form should be chosen:

It is one of the few terms that cast a positive light on the subject.

In the second form, the subject of the clause does not agree with the verb.

answered May 16 '17 at 22:16

Pablo Straub

Thanks for the reply. The duplicate question linked by sumelic seems more comprehensive and important for someone looking for an answer to read. (It does strike me as vague as to what the correct answer is though - with grammarians falling on either side evidently) – Tom22 May 16 '17 at 22:38

1 Answers1